Day 74: Turkey Sausage Lasagna

I originally got this idea from an Ina Garten cookbook, but I made it my own.  It was delish!  Both kids had seconds.  The turkey sausage makes the lasagna leaner, and the goat cheese gives it a great flavor.  I use white wine in the sauce (instead of red) because I think it complements the turkey sausage.  I put it together the day before, which made dinner tonight a breeze!  I only have a picture of the "before" (as in, before it went into the oven) because I had to serve it right when it came out of the oven.  If I had let it stand a few minutes, it would have tightened up and made a great picture!  Alas, it looked a little "soupy" since I had to slice into right after it finished baking--definitely not "picture perfect!"

Turkey Sausage Lasagna

1 lb turkey sausage, casings removed
1/2 lb lasagna noodles
28 oz crushed tomatoes
6 oz tomato paste
couple pinches of sugar
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped & divided
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 lb mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
4 oz goat cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
salt, pepper
olive oil

Soak the lasagna noodles in hot tap water.

In a hot skillet over medium heat, drizzle it with olive oil and add the onion.  Cook until translucent. 

Add the garlic and turkey sausage, and break up the meat with a fork or the like. 

Cook until meat is no longer pink.  Add the white wine to deglaze the pan.  Cook 1 minute. 

Add the tomatoes, paste, basil, some of the parsley, a few pinches of sugar, and some salt and pepper (about 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper). 

Simmer while you prepare the cheeses.

In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, goat cheese, 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, the rest of the parsley, and a little salt and pepper.  Add the egg and mix well.

Layer the ingredients in a 9 x 13 pan as follows: 

1/3 of the meat sauce, 

1/2 of the noodles, 

1/2 of the mozzarella slices, 

1/2 of the ricotta mixture, 

1/3 of the sauce, rest of the noodles, rest of the mozzarella, and the rest of the sauce. 

Sprinkle the top with the rest of the parmesan cheese.

Bake at 400* for about 30 minutes or until the sauce bubbles.  Let stand/cool 5 minutes.  Serve with salad and/or bread.